Displaying items by tag: Author

Hammy & Olivia are social media’s favorite “talking dogs” //www.tiktok.com/@hammyandolivia?" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect">@hammyandolivia (5.7M followers). Their family-centric, everyday-relatable shenanigans are sure to make you laugh or do an eye roll. Within one year, Hammy opened his own takeout cafe, and Olivia never misses an opportunity to voice her displeasure in any given situation. 

 The Talking Corgis Authored a Book

Barkcuterie is a special take on the classic charcuterie board that is for every human’s best friend.

Curated by social media’s favorite corgis, Hammy and Olivia (@hammyandolivia), each artfully designed Barkcuterie board is chock-full of delicious homemade and store-bought dog treats. You’ll have fun making the quick and easy boards and even more fun sharing all the goodies with your dog. For cat owners, don’t worry! Hammy and Olivia have included a cat board for their feline friends. So, dress up your pup, get the camera ready, and celebrate:

• National Dog Day
• Halloween
• Christmas
• Valentine’s Day
• Birthdays
• Gotcha Day
• Cinco de Mayo
• and more

Barkcuterie

25 Pawsome Snack Boards Your Dog Will Love

Give your dog the love they deserve with these beautiful and fun food boards. 

Now you don’t have to exclude your fur babies from the festive food with over 25 themed snack boards for holidays, special occasions, milestones, and just because. This special take on the classic charcuterie board is for every human’s best friend. Curated by social media’s favorite corgis, Hammy and Olivia (@hammyandolivia), each artfully designed barkcuterie board is chock-full of delicious homemade and store-bought dog treats. You’ll have fun making the quick and easy boards and even more fun sharing all the goodies with your dog. For cat owners, don’t worry! Hammy and Olivia have included a cat board for their feline friends. So, dress up your pup, get the camera ready, and celebrate.

Including over 35 easy-to-make recipes for pupcakes, biscuits, donuts, and pupsicles and adorable photos of Hammy and Olivia, Barkcuterie is the ultimate way to let your dog know how much you love them.

 

Barkcuterie

Spirit grew up on the streets of South-Central Los Angeles and recounts his days of being abandoned, living a perilous life, enduring the terror of the streets, being trapped, rescued and finally finding his forever home.

Spirit tells it like it is and shares the street smarts of a sassy cat with his readers. There are lots of laughs, some tears and a heartwarming tale of a contemporary cat who went from the mean streets to the sweet life and the adventures he found along the way. Delightful reading for all ages and cat lovers everywhere.

“I have truly never enjoyed a cat as much as I enjoy Spirit.” Heidi Hirsch

“I am rolling on the floor laughing.” Stephanie Allyson Stacy

“Your stories are the highlight of my day.” Jackie Zeman

Author’s proceeds benefit Kitty Bungalow, Charm School for Wayward Cats

   Distributed by: DeVorss & Company         Available on their website: https://www.devorss.com/

Speak with Jill Twiss, the Emmy Award-Winning
Comedy Writer Behind HBO’s
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER on Talkin' Pets with Jon Patch October 2 at 5PM EST

Also a New York Times Best-Selling Author,
Twiss’ New Book, MAJOR MAKES HISTORY,
Tells the Story of the First Shelter Dog in the White House

 

 

Jill Twiss has won multiple Emmys, WGA Awards and Peabody Awards for her work as a writer on HBO’s acclaimed hit series Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. In addition, Jill is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the children’s picture books Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, The Someone New and Everyone Gets a Say.

Now, Jill’s latest book – Major Makes History: From the Shelter to the White House -- tells the tale of President Biden’s friendship with Major, the first shelter dog in the White House. Hilarious and filled with heart, Major Makes History is written in the dog’s voice, and offers his perspective on adjusting to the White House and his urgent calling in life—to support and care for the president. When President Biden adopted his Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018, their bond was immediate. President Biden rescued Major and provided him with a loving home. What he didn’t know is that Major would also rescue him too.

Jill Twiss can share more details about this new, heartwarming book; her inspiration for telling Major’s story; offer perspective on how Major compares with past presidential pets; and offer information for adopting shelter animals.

BIO: 

A Guide to Discovering the Spiritual Agreements between Our Souls and Those of our Animal Companions Animal lovers are extraordinary. Despite awareness that we will probably outlive our beloved pets, we are still drawn, time and time again, to the connection, joy, and unconditional love that come with sharing our lives, homes, and laps with animals. Many of us feel something deeper than just companionship with our animal friends—a heart-to-heart connection felt all the way to the soul level. Revealing the higher purpose and soul mission behind our relationships with our animal companions, Tammy Billups explores the spiritual contracts that are created when a human bonds with an animal and shows how we come into each other’s lives for a reason. Providing real-life examples, Billups explains why animals choose, at the soul level, to have certain perceived negative experiences, such as physical or behavioral issues, to evolve their souls, clear karma, and help our soul’s evolution. She shows that human and animal souls orchestrate every experience and interaction that holds potential for transformation and healing, including the final transition. She demonstrates the inner dynamics of the animal-human relationship to help animal lovers understand their soul contracts with their pets. The inspirational, real-life examples of animal-human tandem healings that Billups facilitated identify the soul contracts within each pairing that transformed feelings of grief, loss, abandonment, betrayal, trauma, abuse, and anxiety. The author reveals how animals we have previously loved and shared our lives with come back, either on the spirit level or reincarnated in a new animal form, to support us. Offering peace and hope to those who’ve lost beloved animal companions, she describes what she’s witnessed during healing sessions with animals in the weeks before they transition and during their passing. Billups also includes practical instructions for identifying different types of animal soul contracts and connecting with and enlisting the help of your light team or spirit guides. By discovering the soul agreements that underlie our animal partnerships, we can find meaning in the issues that arise with our animals and ourselves, support our souls’ mutual evolution, and allow the soul contracts to weave their spiritual magic in the animal-human relationship. Author Bio: Tammy Billups is a transformational soul healer and pioneer on the animal-human sacred soul partnership. She’s a sought after holistic healer, the creator of animal-human Tandem Healings, and a Certified Interface Therapist. She has appeared on CNN’s The Daily Share, Primetime Live ABC, and Oprah. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.

Earth Day 2021: Passing On a Cleaner World No matter where you stand on the climate change debate, we all want clean air and water. Just in time for Earth Day on April 22, Bill Pekny shares five ways to fight pollution everyone can get behind. Midway, UT (April 2021)—Preserving the beauty and wonder of our natural world for future generations should certainly be a goal everyone can get behind. While progress is often stymied by polarizing debates, clean air and water should be a priority for everyone. “We all want to pass on a clean and healthy world,” says Bill Pekny author of A Tale of Two Climates: One Real, One Imaginary (Two Climates LLC, 2020, ISBN: 978-1-73493-960-6, $34.59). “But the science is confusing to the average person, and it can be easy to get lost in the details. Meanwhile, instead of focusing on the fruit closest to the ground we waste our energy trying to convince ‘the other side’ to see things our way.” Pekny, who holds M.S. and B.S. degrees from Georgia Tech and DePaul and spent more than 50 years as a scientist in the U.S. Armed Forces and aerospace industry, wants to help demystify the science and help people understand what they can do to help. He says we should focus on combatting pollution in meaningful ways that are right in front of us instead of getting lost in debate that often just produces gridlock. “Small, incremental changes can get us moving toward bigger changes in the future,” he says. “People will start seeing the benefits right away. These little victories can generate some real momentum and get people excited about working toward a cleaner world.” With that in mind, here are five ways to fight pollution that we can all get behind. Pekny offers these ideas that could pack a big punch in our quest for clean air and water. Focus our efforts on pollution mitigation. All too often we get caught up on reducing carbon emissions in the abstract, and it can distract from other more meaningful ways to fight air pollution. Plus, getting rid of CO2 won’t help reduce other toxic pollutants. Manage forests better to minimize wildfires and resultant smoke (PM2.5) pollution. This includes controlled burns, managed logging operations, and preemptive thinning and removal of underbrush that fuel wildfires. This is a wise step, since trees usually leave the forest in only two ways—lumber or smoke! Place more emphasis on walking trails, biking trails, car-pooling, and public transportation in order to reduce vehicle pollutant emissions. Build more firebreak and logging roads. These roads improve accessibility to fire prone areas and gives us greater ability to inspect remote power lines (a frequent source of wildfires). Fund life cycle research and development of safe modular nuclear reactors and the geothermal fracking process. These have the potential to be flexible, reliable, and continuous sources of clean energy. “The natural beauty of our planet is incredible,” says Pekny. “My hope is that everyone will gain and enjoy a greater understanding of how we can work together to preserve this natural beauty for future generations.” # # # About the Author: Bill Pekny is the author of A Tale of Two Climates: One Real, One Imaginary. He holds physics M.S. and B.S. degrees from Georgia Tech and DePaul University, plus graduate study in physical meteorology and numerical analysis at Florida State University and the University of Utah, and a visiting scholar appointment at the Ginzton Laboratory of Applied Physics at Stanford University. Bill’s career in science spans over 50 years in the U.S. Armed Forces and the aerospace industry. His career highlights include: Project Stormfury with the U.S. Navy Hurricane Hunters; applied atmospheric physics and meteorology research; LASER RADAR development; new product testing in various atmospheric environments; aviation optics and electronics; global climate research; and more. About the Book: A Tale of Two Climates: One Real, One Imaginary (Two Climates LLC, 2020, ISBN: 978-1-73493-960-6, $34.59) is available from major online booksellers.

To put it simply, there’s little Dianne Scott doesn’t do. Between her successful modeling and acting career, her role as full-time wife and stepmom to three, and her devotion to advocating for pit bulls, Scott has allowed her creativity and artistry to pour out of her in far more ways than one. From performing in various film and television shows, gracing the cover of magazines, and turning her passion for pups into something tangible through her web series Neighborhood Watch, her Instagram page A Tale of 2 Pitties (which has gathered a community of 104k pit bull lovers), and her newly published children’s book series, A Tale of Two Pitties, Scott has gained an extensive amount of experience through her adventures. I was given the incredible opportunity to chat about her fondest memories, greatest advice, and future projects. Q: So you’ve done so many incredible things in your career. Before we jump into that, I’d love to know about your life before your career. How did your childhood and your upbringing inspire you to pursue a career in the industry? D: I knew when I was about eight or nine that I was a performer. I was always putting on silly skits and being ridiculous. I would force my friends and family to sit while I did something outrageous, and it was all to make them laugh—I really, really loved to make people laugh. I think it started because, I’m 5’10 now, so I was always very tall and very awkward as a child and I think I kind of leaned into my comedic ability to kind of compensate for how I didn’t feel beautiful or attractive. I was like “Okay, I’m really funny and I can make people laugh and that’s an even bigger gift,” and so I did that. I also started to write stories when I was in junior high and high school because I always loved to write. I still do and I’ll touch more on that later. So, as I got older and grew out of my ugly duckling phase, thank God, that was when my modeling career started, but I’ve always known I wanted to act. I was always performing and doing plays growing up. After high school, I went to Westmont College for a year and soon realized “Wait, this is not what I want to do,” so after that, I moved down to San Diego for a while, eventually made it to LA, and here I am now. Q: Could you tell me about your early career? What was your life like when you first moved to Los Angeles? DIANNE SCOTT, THE ACTRESS D: So I kind of hopped all over the place because I was honestly lost for a little while, which, aren’t we all in our early 20s? So when I finally made it up to LA, I had a very successful modeling career. But eventually, I thought, wait, I don’t want to do this, I need to be heard! I need to use my voice because I have a lot to say! So my first break was on the show Bones, which was my first co-star, so that was awesome. Then I zigzagged in and out of modeling and acting and was on a few other shows. I was on How I Met Your Mother, where I got to work with Neil Patrick Harris who is just so lovely and so funny. But I have to say the pinnacle of my career up until this point was, as far as working with absolute legends goes, I got to work on the movie The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. One day of filming, in particular, there was a scene where I was working with Jim Carrey, Steve Buscemi, and Jay Mohr. It was twelve, maybe thirteen hours on this scene, and, girl, when I tell you it took everything in my being and acting training to not just crack up every time Jim Carrey looked over at me and made eye contact! It was just incredible, that was an amazing experience. Something else I got to work on that was just phenomenal was Face Off. I was a series regular for a few years and that was one of my favorites because you come on set and you have no idea what’s going to happen to you. They work you into these insane creatures and it was just so fun and fed my creative need so much. Q: What was it like adjusting to the people that live and work in Hollywood? As someone who moved from a suburb to LA at a young age as well, it was definitely culture shock for me. How has that adjustment been for you? D: When I first came to LA in my early 20’s, I was just clueless. I look back and I realize how many people were taking advantage of me and lying to me, and how starstruck I was and blind to it I was. So, it’s definitely tough. You have to have really thick skin and really know who you are and fortunately, over the years I found some really good people to hold onto. I went through a lot of friends and eventually found the right people, and that’s so important to stay grounded because it’s a very tricky industry. Q: So, switching gears to another one of your passions, you’re known for being a huge advocate for pit bulls. Can you tell me when and where this passion sort of stemmed from? DIANNE SCOTT, THE ACTRESS D: Yes, so in 2012 my husband saw a picture of a dog at a shelter and just had this urge to adopt him. I saw the picture and said, “That’s a pit bull, aren’t pit bulls dangerous?” because I didn’t know anything at the time. So I was like, “Can’t they lock their jaws, and aren’t they not safe around children?” And my husband, bless his heart, just kind of laughs and says “No, that’s a stereotype. That’s a bias you probably heard through the media.” The crazy thing was when I thought about it, I didn’t even know where I had heard that, it was just a fact rummaging around in my head. So thank God we took a chance on this dog. We brought him home, named him Hurley, and fell madly in love as one does when they take a chance on a pit bull. My mind was just blown at how what I thought was true was proven to be completely wrong by this beautiful, sweet boy. So something kind of awoke inside of me and shortly after Hurley we adopted another dog and I created an Instagram for them. Hurley died when he was four of lymphoma, and at this point, my social media following had grown pretty big. I had so much support from this amazing, insanely strong community of pit bull lovers and advocates on social media, and yes, it shattered my world. But also, in losing him, I realized what one of my missions in life was supposed to be, and it was to advocate for these dogs that are so misunderstood. So in 2016, shortly after Hurley died, we rescued another pit bull mix, so we have two again. He’s continued Hurley’s legacy, and over the years my passion in this whole mission has just continued to grow. Q: How did this passion for pit bulls connect with your love of writing? When did you feel inspired to connect the two and write A Tale of Two Pitties? D: When Hurley was still alive we had cats too, and when I married my husband I became a full-time stepmom to three, so we had a very full house. I started writing these children’s books because there are so many amazing stories with my life and these animals, you know? My pit bull loves on my cat and they just have this bromance that was featured on Ellen, and it was impacting so many people around the world! I thought, “I need to write these books and make them fun and educational!” and I couldn’t stop writing. So, I have five published on Amazon right now and I have no desire to stop, so I’m going to keep writing. I mean we now have two dogs, four cats, three children—the stories are just never going to end! Q: How has it been taking on this new hat of being an author? Seeing that you’re an actor, model, and now author, I’d love to hear your opinion on how these things connect. D: Yes, they definitely balance. As an artist, there are so many things that just pour out of you in any outlet you can find, and I’m just finding more as I get older, which is so lovely. When I became a full-time stepmom I didn’t know what I was doing. I don’t have any biological children and I decided to put a hiatus on my career so I could really adjust and be the best version of myself for them and for my husband and not lose my mind. In doing that, that’s when things really started ramping up in me artistically and all these different outlets appeared. So I kept writing and I created a web series called Neighborhood Watch with my dog, and I looked back and thought, “How funny is it that I stopped acting professionally for a while, but I couldn’t stop acting?” So, I created a series with my dog as my co-star (who is a phenomenal co-star, I must say)! It just goes to show if you’re meant to do something it’s going to manifest in some way. Now that our kids are older, I’ve since gone back to acting and it’s like picking up where I left off, but even better. Q: For our readers interested in keeping an eye out for you, are there any projects you’ve recently worked on or that you’re planning to do in the future? D: Yes, I do! So I was just part of a film released last weekend called Super Bois. The film is about people with special needs and pit bulls and shining this beautiful bright light on them. I have a niece with Down syndrome and I have pit bulls, so these were just two incredibly amazing causes I’m very passionate about. Just the way that it all happened was insane and I never expected to be a part of this film. I got to play opposite Marty York, who plays ‘Yeah-Yeah’ in The Sandlot, which is one of my all-time favorite movies to this day, so being able to play opposite him was just such a cool, amazing experience. It’s just a beautiful movie, so that’s really exciting. I also just did a documentary on plant-based dog food. Now, I’m not vegan or plant-based, so when they approached me to do it I was pretty skeptical. But when we did it, all of our dogs’ digestive issues, rashes, and allergies that we’ve spent so much money on disappeared within a week of being on this food and nothing has come back since. So, this documentary was just released last week, it’s by Wild Earth dog food, and I’m really excited about it. Q: Lastly, if you had one piece of advice for our readers who are aspiring to be actors, models, or authors, what would it be? D: Yes, I have a lot of advice! For someone wanting to pursue acting, I think a huge key is knowing who you are as a person, as an artist, as a soul, and making sure you’ve done as much of the inner work as you can. Meaning, for example, I remember getting to LA in my early 20s and not really having a sense of identity. I was so easily swayed one way or the other; it was hard for me to say no, and there were just so many things that were a recipe for disaster. So now, when I look back, I realize that was another reason I didn’t have as much success early on. I think knowing who you are, taking the time to figure out who you are, and really getting strong in what you believe, what you’re going to say yes or no to, and above all, this piece of advice goes for anything you’re pursuing, never ever give up on the desire that is in your heart. They are not random, they were put there, and you can do something so special that can help an endless amount of people if you follow that. If you live your life in fear, at the end of your life you’re going to be so regretful, and you’ll never know what you’re missing out on if you don’t leave your comfort zone. You have no idea of the path and you can’t predict what’s going to happen, so you just have to trust that what you’re meant to do is going to happen and just keep going no matter what.

Bash Dibra is a big, ebullient man with a warm smile, a gentle manner, and a lifelong affinity for dogs. When he was only three years old and fled with his family from Albania to a refugee camp in Yugoslavia, he made friends with the attack dogs that guarded the compound. Later, as the family traveled through Europe, Bash was able to work with master dog trainers, and he continued his work when he came to the United States. Then came the opportunity to raise and train a wolf, and through this experience Bash developed his unique methods of dog training. As author of two best-selling books on responsible pet ownership, training and the proper treatment of animals in the entertainment industry, Bash Dibra sets the industry standard of service to celebrities and their pets as well as to pets who are celebrities in their own right. Mr. Dibra has trained the pets of countless celebrities, including Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathleen Turner, Mariah Carey, Joan Rivers, Kim Bassinger and Alec Baldwin. His own pets are celebrities themselves, featured in motion pictures, television commercials and print ads. Bash has appeared on countless TV shows promoting responsible pet ownership, and he works diligently behind the scenes for animal welfare and to promote animals in service to mankind. Bash credits his incredible way with dogs to his beloved wolf, Mariah, who taught him so much, and who was the official symbol of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.

Tips From Bash Airplane Travel Car Problems Correction and Discipline (Puppy) Dog Training Techniques Early Puppy Training How to Interpret Your Dog's Body Language, Facial Expressions, and Vocalizations Dog Days Mean Special Care For Dogs